Courtesy Bowdoin Sports Information

Box Score

BRUNSWICK, Maine - The Bowdoin College men's ice hockey team scored six unanswered goals to close out a 7-3 NESCAC quarterfinal victory over Trinity on Saturday afternoon. With the win, the top-seeded Polar Bears earn the right to host the NESCAC Championship weekend next Saturday and Sunday at Dayton Arena.

Top-seeded Bowdoin will face fifth-seeded Amherst in the first semifinal next Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Second-seeded Middlebury and third-seed Colby will play at 4:00 p.m. The winners will meet on Sunday for the NESCAC Championship at 1:00 p.m. Tickets will go on sale Wednesday at 10 a.m. in the Bowdoin Athletic Office. Ticket prices will be announced Monday.

Things looked dire in the early going for the Polar Bears, as the eighth-seeded Bantams put a scare into their hosts. After an initial flurry of chances for the Polar Bears, the Bantams took advantage of a scrum in front. Shawn Donaher played a shot in front that deflected off traffic and over the shoulder of Bowdoin goaltender Chris Rossi for a 1-0 Trinity lead. The Bantams doubled their lead just minutes later on a William Maheras goal and appeared to be in position to hold a two-goal lead after 20 minutes. But, with just 10 seconds left in the period, as Mike Corbelle redirected a pass in front to give Bowdoin momentum into the intermission, down 2-1.

But Trinity quickly answered in the second frame, as Daniel Maturi scored just four minutes in to push the Bantam lead to 3-1. The goal awakened the Polar Bears, as Bowdoin exploded for four scores in the next 9:43 to take command of the game. Bryan Ciborowski started the run with a rifled shot from the right faceoff circle that cut the lead to 3-2. Moments later, Ryan Blossom finished off a scramble in front to tie the game at three apiece.

Colin Hughes gave Bowdoin the lead for good at 9:46 of the second period, taking a feed from Tim McVaugh in front and burying a shot into the net for a 4-3 Polar Bear advantage. Matt Smith scored two straight goals to end the second frame and start the third before Corbelle closed out the scoring at 6:31 of the final stanza.

Bowdoin (15-6-3) got 25 saves from Chris Rossi to stay unbeaten at Dayton Arena this season. Trinity got 23 stops from David Murison in defeat. The Polar Bears scored four power-play goals in seven chances while the Bantams (8-13-1) went 1-for-5 with the extra man.